Sliding type electric switch



G. S. ELLITHORPE SLIDING TYPE ELECTRIC SWITCH Sept, 6, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 2, 1957 L INVENTOR.

p 1950 G. s. ELLITHO'RPE 2,951,917

SLIDING TYPE ELECTRIC SWITCH Fil ed Aug. 2, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

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I'l S United State Patent Patented Sept. 6, 196

2,951,917 SLIDING TYPE ELECTRIC swITcIi Gilbert S. Ellithorpe, Waterman, 111., assignor to Piitelfuse, Incorporated, Des Plaines, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Filed Aug. 2, 1957, Ser. No. 675,839

2' Claims. Cl. 200-16) The principal object of this invention is to provide an improved sliding type electric switch wherein the slidable contact carrier is thoroughly and completely guided in its sliding movement in the housing member to provide foolproof operation without binding or seizing, to provide positive contact pressure at all times and to provide extremely long useful life.

Briefly, the sliding type electric switch of this invention includes a housing member formed of electrical insulating material and which has an elongated cavity therein which is open at its top and closed at its bottom, sides and ends. Terminal contacts are secured in the bottom of the cavity and a carrier is arranged in the elongated cavity for slidable movement therealong. A contact member is carried by the carrier and engages and disengages the terminal contacts as the carrier is slid along the elongated cavity. Preferably, the contact member is movably mounted on the carrier and a spring is interposed between the carrier and contact member for resiliently urging the contact member against the terminal contacts to insure positive contact pressure. An

extension is provided on the carrier for sliding the same along the elongated cavity. A cover is secured to the housing member over the open top of the elongated cavity for retaining the carrier and contact member within the cavity and the cover is provided with a slot through which the extension of the carrier outwardly extends for manipulation purposes.

-A groove is provided on at least one side and preferably on each side of the elongated cavity at its open top and a flange is provided on at least one side and preferably on each side of the carrier, the flanges being arranged in the grooves and being held in place therein by the cover member. These flanges and grooves cooperate with each other to maintain the carrier at a proper depth within the elongated cavity, to prevent tilting of the carrier, to insure proper contact pressure, and to guide the carrier in its movement along the elongated cavity. The carrier is also preferably provided with a projection which extends into the slot in the cover member, the projection having elongated guide surfaces which engage the sides of the slot in the cover member. The guide surfaces on the projection and the sides of the slot cooperate to prevent twisting of the carrier and also to guide the carrier in its movement along the elongated cavity.

The sliding type electric switch of this invention has many uses and can be used in many different fields of endeavor, as for example the electronics and automotive fields. In one of its forms, the sliding type electric switch of this invention is particularly adapted for use in controlling the starter circuits and back up light circuits of an automotive vehicle where the switch is operated by the control mechanism of an automatic transmission. In such an application of this invention, the switch is preferably made arcuate in configuration to adapt it more readily to this particular use. Such -a switch is disclosed herein for purposes of illustration and 'nection 28. Arranged in 2 it is understood that other configurations for other uses may be utilized without departing from the spirit of invention.

Further objects of this invention reside in the details of construction of the sliding type electric switch and in the relationships between the component parts thereof,

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent to those skilled in the upon ref erence to the accompanying specification, claims and drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the front type electric switch of this invention;

Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the electric switch, similar to Fig. 1, but omitting the cover member;

Fig. 3 is a front elevational view of the switch;

Fig. 4 is a rear elevational view of the electric switch;

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view through the electric switch taken substantially along the line 5-5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially along the line 6-6 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 7 is an exploded perspective view of the carrier and the contact member.

One form of the sliding type electric switch, which is particularly adapted for use in controlling the starter circuits and back up light circuits of an automotive vehicle where the switch is operated by the control mechanism of an automatic transmission, is generally designated at 10 in the drawings. It includes a housing member 11 which is formed of electrical insulating material such as Bakelite or the like. The housing member 11 has an elongated cavity 12 therein, the cavity being illustrated as an elongated arcuate cavity. The cavity is open at its top as indicated at 13 and is closed at its bottom as indicated at 14, at its sides as indicated at 15 and 16, and at its ends as indicated at 17. The sides of the cavity are arcuate, the arcuate side 15 being concave and the arcuate side 16 being convex. The ends 17 of the cavity are preferably substantially parallel as illustrated.

A terminal contact 20 is arranged in the bottom of the cavity 12 adjacent one end thereof and has a portion 21 thereof extending through the housing member 11 and terminating in a terminal connect-ion 22. The terminal contact 20 is held in place by crimping the parts thereof as shown more clearly in Fig. 5. Another terminal contact 23 is also arranged in the cavity adjacent the terminal contact 20 and it includes a portion 24 extending through the housing member and terminating in a terminal connection 25. Another terminal contact 26 is arranged in the cavity 12 adjacent the other end thereof and it is provided with a port-ion 27 extending through the housing member and terminating in a terminal conthe cavity 12 adjacent the terminal contact 26 is still another terminal contact 29 having a portion 30 extending through the housing mernber and terminating in a terminal connection 31. The terminal contacts 23, 26 and 29 are clinched in place in the bottom of the cavity 12 in the same manner as the terminal contact 20. When the terminal contacts 20 and 23 are bridged, an electrical circuit is completed from the terminal connector 22 to the terminal connector 25 and, likewise, when the terminal contacts 26 and 29 are bridged, an electric circuit is completed from the terminal connection 28 to the terminal connection 31. The housing member 11 is provided with a boss 32 where the portions 21 and 24 of the contact terminals 20 and 23 extend therethrough for strengthening purposes and preferably the terminal connections 22 and 25 are separated by a spacer 34 formed on the boss 32. In a like manner the portions 27 and 30 of the terminal contacts 26 and 29 extend through a boss 33 on the housing member 11 for strengthening purposes.

of the sliding The arcuate side 15 of the cavity is provided with a groove 36 at the open end of the cavity and likewise the arcuate side 16 of the cavity is provided with a groove 37 at the open end of the cavity, the grooves 36 and 37 having the same arcu'ate curvature as the sides 15 and 16 of the cavity 12. The upper curved portion of the housing member 11 is'provided with an arcuate flange 39 and this arcuate flange is provided with a plurality of outwardly projecting bosses 40.

Arranged within the arcuate cavity 12 is a carrier 42 which is preferably made of electrical insulating material such as bakelite or thelike. As here illustrated, the carrier 42 is substantially triangular in configuration. One side 43 of the carrier 42 is made concavely arcuate so as to conform with the side 15 of the cavity 12. The short side 44 of the carrier 42 is made convexly arcuate so as to conform with the configuration of the side 16 of the cavity 12. The other sides of the carrier 42 are each provided with a notch 45. The outer end of the carrier 42 has an extension 46 extending therefrom and the inner end of the carrier is provided with a central hole 56 The outer end of the carrier 42 is also provided with three small bosses 47, one of the small bosses 47 being arranged near the short side 44 of the carrier and the other two small bosses 47 being arranged near the long side 43 of the carrier. The carrier is also provided with a pair of flanges 48 and 49 The flange 48 is adjacent to the long side 43 of the carrier and extends into the groove 37 in the base member. The other flange 49 is arranged adjacent the short side 44 of the carrier 42 and extends into the groove as in the base member 11. The outer end of the carrier 42 is provided with a projection 50 having a pair of guide surfaces 51 and 52, the guide surface 51 being convex and the guide surface 2 being concave. The flanges 43 and 4% on the carrier 42 cooperate with the grooves 37 and 36 in the base member 11 for maintaining the carrier member 42 at a proper depth within the cavity 12 and for guiding the carrier 42 as it is slid along the elongated cavity 12..

The inner end of the carrier 42 movably carries a contact member 55 which is provided with a dimple '56 and a pair of dimples 57, the dimple 56 being adapted to engage the terminal contacts 23 and 29 and the dimples 57 being adapted to engage the contact terminals 20 and 26. The contact member 55 is movably carried by the carrier 42 by means of ears 58 extending into the recesses 45 in the carrier member 42. The contact member 55 is also provided with a central dimple 59 which is engaged by one end of a coil spring 61? located in the hole 53 in the carrier 42. The spring 64 operates to resiliently urge the contact member 55 into engagement with the terminal contacts 2 23, 2s and 29 as the carrier 42 is slid along the cavity 12 in the base member 11.

A cover member as is secured to the housing member Hover the open top 13 of the elongated cavity 12. This coven62 has an arcuate slot 63 therein through which the extension 46 extends, the sides of the slot being outwardly turned to provide guide lips. The projection 5t; of the carrier 42 also projects into the slot 6 3 and the arcuate guide surfaces 51 and 52 thereon cooperate with the arcuate slot 63 for guiding the movement of the carrier 42 along the elongated cavity 12. The cover 62 has a bottom wall as which engages along the bottom of the housing member 11 and also end walls 65 which engage along the ends of the housing member 11. Bars 66 formed on the bottom wall 64 are clenched over the housing member 11 and likewise ears 67 formed on the front of the cover 62 are clenched over the flanged portion 3-9 of the base member or housing member 11 for the purpose of firmly securing the cover 62 to the housing member 11. The cover 62 is also provided with holes for receiving the small bosses 49 on the housing member 11 for accurately positioning the cover member 62 with respect to the housingmember 11. The 'cover member 62 is also provided with bracket portionsGBfor mounting the switch,

such as, for example, on the steering post of an automotive vehicle. The extension 46 on the carrier 4-2 may be operated by the control mechanism of an automatic transmission, which control mechanism is arranged along the steering column of the automotive vehicle. The terminal connections 22 and 25 may. be arranged in the starter circuit of the automotive vehicle and the terminal connectors 28 and 31 may be arranged in the backup light circuit of the automotive vehicle.

When the carrier 42 is positioned adjacent the center of the arcuate cavity 12, at positions corresponding to the low and drive positions of the control mechanism of the automatic transmission, no electric circuits are completed. When, however, the carrier 42 is moved toward one end of the elongated cavity 12, to the left as indicated in Fig. 3, to positions corresponding to the neutral and park positions of the control mechanism of the automatic transmission, the contact member 55 bridges the terminal contacts 2t) and 23 to allow completion of the starter circuit of the automotive vehicle. When the carrier 42 is moved in the opposite direction to the other end of the elongated cavity 12, to a position corresponding to the reverse position of the control mechanism of the automatic transmission, the contact member 55 bridges the contacts 26 and 29 to complete the backup light circuit of the automotive vehicle.

The cover member 62 is engaged by the small bosses 47 on the carrier 42 and since the flanges 48 and 49 on the carrier 42 are received in the grooves 36 and 37 in the housing member 11, the carrier member 42 is maintained at the proper depth in the elongated cavity 12 so that substantialiy constant spring pressure is afforded by the spring 69 to at all times maintain desired contact pressure. The flanges 48 and 49 also cooperate with the grooves 36 and 37 to prevent tilting of the carrier 42 in the cavity 12 and they further provide a general guiding function for the carrier 42 as it is moved along the elongated cavity 12. The elongated guide surfaces 51 and 52 on the projection 50 cooperate with the slot 63 in the cover member 62 to prevent twisting or turning of the carrier 42 in the cavity 12 and also operate to provide a guiding function for the carrier 42 as it is moved along the elongated cavity 12. By reason of the guiding functions provided by the flanges 48 and 49, the grooves 35 and 3'7, the guide surfaces 51 and 52 and the slot 63, the carrier 42 is thoroughly and completely guided in itssliding movement in the cavity 12 of the housing member to provide foolproof operation without binding or seizing, to provide positive contact pressure at all times and to provide for extremely long useful life of the electric switch. While the carrier 42 has been illustrated as a one piece structure, it can be made up from a number of pieces. For'example, the flanges 48 and 49 and/or the projection 50 could be formed on a plate secured to the carrier and the extension 46 could extend from such plate.

While for purposes of illustration one form of this invention has been disclosed, other forms thereof may become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reference to this disclosure and, therefore, this invention is to be limitedonly by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A sliding type electric switch comprising, a housing member formed of electrical insulating material and having an elongated arcuate cavity therein which is open at its top and closed at its bottom, arcuate sides and parallei ends, terminal contacts secured in the bottom of the cavity, a substantially triangular shaped carrier arranged in the elongated arcuate cavity and spaced from the bottom thereof for slidable movement in the elongated arcuate cavity with one of its long sides adjacent the convex arcuate side of the cavity, its opposed short side adjacent the concave 'arcuate side of the cavity, and its other long sides adjacent the respective parallel ends of cavity when the carrier is slid toward said ends, a tact member movably carried by the carrier between the carrier and the bottom of the cavity and engaging and disengaging the terminal contacts as the carrier is slid along the elongated arcuate cavity, a spring interposed between the carrier and the contact member for resiliently urging the contact member against the terminal contacts, an extension on the carrier for sliding the same along the elongated arcuate cavity, a cover member fixedly secured to the housing member over the open top of the elongated arcuate cavity for closing the same and for retaining the carrier and contact member within the cavity and having an elongated arcuate slot through which the extension of the carrier outwardly extends, a groove on at least one side of the elongated arcuate cavity at its open top, and an arcuate flange on at least one of said one long side and said short side of the carrier arranged in the groove and held in place in the groove by the cover member for spacing the carrier from the bottom of the elongated arcuate cavity and guiding the carrier in its movement along the elongated arcuate cavity.

'2. A sliding type electric switch comprising, a housing member formed of electrical insulating material and having an elongated arcuate cavity therein which is open at its top and closed at its bottom, arcuate sides and parallel ends, terminal contacts secured in the bottom of the cavity, a substantially triangular shaped carrier arranged in the elongated arcuate cavity and spaced from the bottom thereof for slidable movement in the elongated arcuate cavity with one of its long sides adjacent the convex arcuate side of the cavity, its opposed short side adjacent the concave arcuate side of the cavity, and its other long sides adjacent the respective parallel ends of cavity when the carrier is slid toward said ends, a contact member movably camied by the carrier between the carrier and the bottom of the cavity and engaging and disengaging the terminal contacts as the carrier is slid along the elongated arcuate cavity, a spring interposed between the carrier and the contact member for resiliently urging the contact member against the terminal contacts, an extension on the carrier for sliding the same along the elongated arcuate cavity, a cover member fixedly secured to the housing member over the open top of the elongated arcuate cavity for closing the same and for retaining the carrier and contact member within the cavity and having an elongated arcuate slot through Which the extension of the carrier outwardly extends, a groove on at least one side of the elongated arcuate cavity at its open top, and an arcuate flange on at least one of said one long side and said short side of the carrier arranged in the groove and held in place in the groove by the cover member for spacing the carrier from the bottom of the elongated arcuate cavity and guiding the carrier in its movement along the elongated arcuate cavity, and a projection on the carrier extending into the arcuate slot in the cover member and having elongated arcuate guide surfaces engaging the sides of the arcuate slot for guiding the carrier in its movement along the elongated arcuate cavity.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,799,920 Meuer Apr. 7, 1931 2,205,483 Krieger June 25, 1940 2,246,373 Lodge June 17, 1941 2,619,554 Parsons Nov. 25, 1952 2,683,193 Barcus July 6, 1954 2,714,140 Spicer July 26, 1955 

